Friday, January 27, 2006
Musings of Peterson Toscano an ex-gay survivor and -- Creator of Doin' Time in the Homo No Mo Halfway House. Visit myspace & Performance Schedule & YouTube videos. Also visit BeyondExGay
About Me
- Name: Peterson Toscano
- Location: Sunbury, Pennsylvania, United States
When I travel, in addition to photos, I also record slices of sounds.
Previous Posts
- Wage Peace Campaign: Robert Cray Video
- Marvin & Leonard
- Marvin's Crazy Church Experience
- Queer 101 merchandise!
- For Our Enemies
- Marvin & Demon Possession
- Queer 101 in the US Capital (no not NYC)
- Special Report: Whale in the River Thames
- Marvin's First Podcast Appearance
- Blog Carnival
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5 Comments:
Hey, Marvin-
I just wanted to leave you a comment to let you know how much I enjoy listening to your audio posts. They're all so honest and vulnerable; it's really moving. It's good that you're keeping guard on your pride, and I hope you pray about your situation and do what you feel is right. But I just wanted to tell you that if you decide to stop posting, you will be greatly missed!
Marvin, this post of yours really moved me. It made me terribly sad, because I feel bad for you trying to deal with this and sort all of this out, and I feel bad for me because I spent so long feeling like every time someone had a problem with something I did or said that it must be because of something that was wrong with me.
It sounds to me like you are what I would call a "truth teller" - and that tends to not be a very popular thing, especially in religious circles. If you tell the truth about how you see things, or how things make you feel, it often gets thrown back at you as if there is something wrong with you, not the situation. And it's really easy for people to do when those of us who struggle with our sexuality issues (I used to consider myself ex-gay, so I know what your struggle is like to some degree) are so willing to think that we're "less than" simply because we are not straight. In other words, everything about us is wrong or tainted because of our sexuality, while everything they say is automatically right because they are "whole" and straight.
I don't know if this applies to you, but it's what your post made me think of. Do you think you really have a problem with authority figures? If you disagree with something an authority figure tells you, does it mean that you are automatically wrong or rebellious? Do they have a legitimate reason to be an authority figure to you, or is it just because they are straight, and therefore more "whole" than you?
I don't know if any of these questions help, but they are questions that I've had to seriously consider in my life.
I appreciate your posts and I hope you continue to do them. They are making me think!
Marvin,
It may be true that there is a natural hierarchy to things, as you say. But every person is accountable first of all to themselves, and, in your case, to God. As you are an adult, it is your responsibility to choose your leaders carefully, examine the person you want to submit to, and make sure it is the right thing to do.
I share other people's worries about a pastor who does not want people outside of the church to know what goes on inside. I hope you will find the way forward.
I enjoy your audioblogs, and would be sad if this were the last one, but it's your decision, and I will respect it, whatever you choose to do.
Thanks for your honest blogging, and I hope we'll hear from you again.
Marvin:
I very much enjoyed your blog! I must tell you that I've dealt with authority issues in my life. This idea of a covering is very important when it comes to living a healthy life before God.
For a long time I thought I was the weak link in the chain. One day however I was talking to a friend who knew of my situation and he said "perhaps you aren't the weak link...perhaps you're under the wrong covering."
I John 4:1 from The Message translation says: "My dear friends, don't believe everything you hear. Carefully weigh and examine what people tell you. Not everyone who talks about God comes from God. There are a lot of lying preachers loose in the world."
Make certain you're under the right cover! In the meantime, don't go away...your posts have a way of cheering me up. And someone dared call you Marvin "Gloom"...whatever!
j.
I've made sure to get your comments to Marvin. He has not returned my calls, so I left very long messages for him reading your comments. I do hope he comes around. Although I disagree with many things he says about politics and religion and I can agree with him emotionally (if that makes any sense).
I'll leave him another message tonight to just let me know that he is okay. Will keep you posted.
P
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